Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer container, a developing apparatus, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus. Examples of the image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine that forms an image on a recording medium with use of an electrophotographic image forming method, an electrophotographic printer (such as a laser beam printer and a light-emitting diode (LED) printer, for example), and a facsimile apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been disclosed a configuration including, inside a developer container detachably mounted within an image forming apparatus, a stirring conveyance member configured to convey a contained developer toward a developing roller while stirring the developer, such as a configuration discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-196585. The configuration discussed in this patent literature uses a plurality of stirring conveyance members.
Further, there has been disclosed a powdery/granular material conveyance apparatus including a swingably supported bearing member for a powdery/granular material and a vibration generator for providing a vibration to this bearing member, and configured to convey the powdery/granular material borne on the bearing member by vibrating this bearing member, such as an apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-227618.
However, according to the configuration discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-196585, the stirring conveyance member conveys only the developer located within a radius of a rotation. Therefore, a bottom surface of a storage container should be formed so as to have an arc-like shape in cross-section. For example, a protruding portion is formed on a floor surface of the storage container that the stirring conveyance member cannot reach, so that the developer is prevented from being accumulated on a region where this protruding portion is formed. This protruding portion becomes a dead space, thereby leading to a reduction in a volume that accommodates the developer.
Further, according to the configuration discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-227618, an enough space should be set aside to allow the entire bearing member to swing, and this space becomes the dead space.